THE QUIET MAN -- 70 Years of This Irish Classic

By Dan Skip Allen

​John Wayne (True Grit, The Searchers, Stagecoach) has got this reputation of being a man's man. He is a tough guy if you will, but he played a softer, more compassionate character in his films every once in a while. That is if you consider Sean Thornton a gentler, more compassionate man. After all, he killed a man in the ring as a boxer, which convinced him to leave America and move to a small town in Ireland called Innisfree. Now he's trying to start over fresh.

Sean figures he would move back to where his family is from, and he would buy their land and live the rest of his life in peace. Except a man named Will Danaher (Victor McGlagen) is also interested in the land. Sean notices a beautiful redhead named Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara, How Green Was My Valley, Miracle on 34th Street), who happens to be the sister of Danaher. He tries to get into a relationship with her to spite Danaher, but she's feisty and fiery as redheads tend to be. And what a beautiful relationship it turns out to be.

Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne have been in a few other films besides A Quiet Man together: McLintock, Rio Grande, and Big Jake. They have very good screen chemistry from working together on all these films. Some might consider it one of the best on-screen romances ever in Hollywood. I would have to agree with this assessment. These two have a great on-screen dynamic.

Another frequent collaborator of John Wayne is John Ford. These two have had a long and prosperous filmmaking relationship with one another. They did quite a few Westerns, making the duo famous in Hollywood. Their films are some of the best movies ever. A Quiet Man might be the oddest film they've done, though. It's not about tough firefighters, WWII pilots, or gunfighters shooting each other and Native Americans. It's a romantic film that hits on all the notes a great romantic film should.

With the annual March holiday of St. Patrick's Day coming up, A Quiet Man is a perfect film to revisit. It's one of the greatest films focusing on Ireland. The drama between Wayne and McGlagen's characters is accurate of the time, and the romance is one of the best put to screen. This film also has more to offer than just the story and acting. It has excellent cinematography and music as well.

The cinematography by Winton C. Hoch is gorgeous for the time. The reds and blues are very bright and vibrant, and Ireland's backdrop as a whole is beautiful. The music by Victor Young, mostly bagpipes and horns, is fantastic as well. The film has so much going for it. The story by Ford and others is excellent as well. It's the kind of story many audiences can get behind.

As a kid, I was in love with films about Ireland. Darby O'Gill and The Little People and A Quiet Man were my favorites because they romanticized the homeland of my ancestors. The music and drinking were right up my alley. A little too much up my alley. Still to this day, St. Patrick's is my favorite holiday. John Ford, John Wayne, and Maureen O'Hara gave me a film where I could believe in something as a child. My upbringing wasn't perfect, but films like A Quiet Man are something I can go back to time and again and remember what kind of life I wished I could have. 

A Quiet Man is turning seventy years old this week. If there ever was a film to see at this time of year, it's this one. The beautiful romance, what there is of it, and the redemption story of Wayne's character is all worth watching the film. The music, whether it is an Irish lyric or a slow piano solo and pun intended music to my ear. The look of the film is stunning. The performances by all and direction are fantastic. This film is just a delight no matter how you look at it. What other film would be better suited to watch this St. Patrick's Day holiday than this one? It's one of the best from this trio who have so much familiarity with one another.